bistro charlemagne

we've looked around solenad for a good quality yet affordable restaurant to try, we've found this! set meal starts from 235php (includes soup and iced tea), but their ala carte are quite expensive. 

we have ordered: 

1) pork belly with green mango shrimp rice (235php) - pork was a bit tender, sauce was just ok (my mom can prepare binagoongan better!) sorrybistrocharlemagne! :d, but the combination with the green mango is a great idea! good job! 

2) crispy dinuguan paella (235php) - good servings, nice presentation, great taste (a bit sour, but it really blends with the pork and the rice and some veggies.)

3) coconut fish fillet (235php)- i wasn't able to try this, sorry! :d 

4) sisig with fries (ala carte) (can't recall the name of the dish) (can't remember the price too!) i find this combination a bit weird, for me, sisig doesn't fit much with the typical fries, but the sisig itself tastes good, and can be shared by 2-3 medium eater. 5) plain rice (can't remember the price too. haha)

my dad usually has go-to places to eat that's been tried and tested according to his taste and almost always, he does not deviate from that list.
when he triedbistrocharlemagne the first time, it became our go-to place whenever we're in the area.
bistro charlemagne is consistent with their food (and generous in their servings?) and their service is family-oriented - so i get why my dad would always keep this place in mind when dining out.

i’ve read aboutbistrocharlemagne before but it’s in nuvali and that’s quite far where i live. when i  saw that they had opened a new branch at ayala feliz,  i was eager to give it a try . the mall location was pretty nice and the location of thebistroon the roof terrace with a  good garden view. the garden décor makes it feel very chill and homey.

we had dinner last night atbistrocharlemagne. we ordered their best sellers: beef tenderloin rolls with cheese, little asia's crispy chicken, and yang chow fried rice. serving size is good for sharing up to 3 pax.

nothing beats how comforting the taste of their dishes. super liked the yang chow because of the overloaded toppings, perfect combination for the crispy chicken. of course, no one wouldn't loveir the beef tenderloin! i liked how it was all done.

lots of people dining in when we had our dinner, almost all of them were families.

the santa rosa – tagaytay road is just teeming with strip malls with various dining options as well as standalone restaurants. any foodie would be faced with the dilemma of where to eat with so many food choices available. may i present thebistrocharlemagne in nuvali as a viable option? here are seven reasons why which became even more apparent when my extended family made our way down here after our tagaytay sojourn.

when you're a young man trying to impress the lady of your dreams but armed only with a limited budget, there is a big possibility that you won't enterbistrocharlemagne. why? you might think that it's fine dining. and we know for a fact that fine dining requires a thick wallet or if credit card, platinum.

thebistrois old european what with the heavy draperies, solid tables and chairs and heavy menus. people get intimated at a first glance. but in reality? food here is affordable not to mention, interesting.

let's start with choco peanut banana shake i ordered. i was thick, creamy but my surprise, not too sweet. next that impressed me the most was the beef tenderloin with cheese. the meat, tender and the melted cheese complimented the slighty-sweet sauce.

the crispy chicken was one of the stars of that food event. it wasn't dry and the chicken meat was a universe away from being bland. and lastly, the sisig was a sisig plus. it was creamy, deliciously spicy and the pork, textured. loved it.

since ayala solenad is a galaxy away, i will go and visit the newly-opened branch in ayala feliz in pasig and to try out the other items on the menu. of course, i won't order anything else to drink except my new favorite, choco peanut banana.

bistro charlemagne is a fresh concept of little asia. it features a fusion of asian and european cuisines with an exciting twist for everyone's palate.

their branch in ayala malls solenad looks elegant, from the interiors to the chandeliers and the chairs which is quite intimidating for some. we were welcomed by the owner himself, mr. charlemagne lim. he was friendly. the staff were accommodating as well.

we have tried the following dishes:
beef tenderloin rolls with cheese - the moment it hit my tongue, i knew i'll like it more. cheese oozes as you slice the beef tenderloin. the savory sauce and melted cheese fused in my tongue, all in one bite, it was heaven.

ox sisig - was the creamy type of sisig. it's topped with crispy stuff that i enjoyed munching the sisig more. sisig was spicy.

shrimp poppers - the dressing used was too tasty, all i need to do is to just get a piece of shrimp and eat it, and repeat that! it's best paired with the greens.

little asia's crispy chicken - it's recipe was made by the owner's grandfather and it's still being loved by most ofbistrocharlemagne's customers. crispy skin with a different taste, tender meat that's best paired with rice and gravy.

there's more to try here atbistrocharlemagne and i'm glad i was able to witness how tasty their dishes are. every dish is worth the price. i will definitely recommend this to my family and friends!

a collection of selected heirloom dishes, boundless heaps of culinary creativity and a lot of hard work and dedication is what defines the restaurant that isbistrocharlemagne.

to be perfectly honest i didnt know what to make of this restaurant at first glance, an asian fusion restaurant that has a french name with club like interiors, if there was an example of a restaurant going through a brand identity crisis, charlemagne is pure textbook.

however dont let this description fool you of what charlemagnes true nature is, what it lacks in brand clarity it more than makes up for it with quality and creativity. so in case you find yourself at charlemagne's doorstep heres what i recommend you order:

1.) lengua sisig with topped with chicharon bulaklak - this is one of those culinary experiments wherein you'd say "no way, who couldve thought of something like this". well, it's real, its sinfully good and is every bit as advertised. the silky smooth and savory consistency of the lengua tossed in greasy mayonnaise topped by crunchy and greasier heaps of chicaron bulaklak. its so indulgent that it feels like letting your heart go through 3 levels of cholesterol endurance tests.

2.) beef tenderloin rolls with cheese - like the lengua sisig, this is another heart break dish (having too much will literally break your heart). rolls of melted cheese wrapped in thin strips of juicy and fat striped tenderloin, once inside your mouth the concept of what's meat and what's cheese is blurred as your tongue dissolves it in one fatty goo.

if youre not the yolo type of diner and are more conscious about your physical well being (perhaps you still have kids to send through college) i recommend you try their little asia's crispy chicken, the skin is light, crispy and tasty with juicy poultry meat underneath.

one of the best places to go to when we visit nuvali.bistrocharlemagne’s food never disappoints us. it is a must try! will definitely go back here again and again. always a #happytummy 😊

i had high expectations forbistrocharlemagne, since they were the creators of little asia.

the only thing i liked from this restaurant was the menu design. they hired a great graphic designer to do the job! but the interior design is a different story.bistrocharlemagne tried to make a fine dining ambience, but failed miserably. the aircon was closed during our visit. the place was packed too, so it made the restaurant even warmer. not to mention it’s summer! the furnitures are quite dirty already as well as some of the utensils.

the food was so-so. not terrible, but not exceptionally good too. service was okay. waited for a while to be assisted in the entrance and the waiters aren’t so knowledgeable with the dishes. they kept going back and forth whenever we ask questions about certain dishes. nothing extraordinary for me. it’s not a restaurant i’ll go back to though.

‼️ pag hungry talaga ako kung san-san ako nakakapunta👣👣

🐽so naghanap kami ng restaurant na wala sa batangas city na never pa namin na try.

🐽yayamanin yung place, di ako sanay 😂😂.

🐽lakas maka rich yung chandeliers and red seats nila. para kang nasa classic and elegant french restaurant bes.

🐽they served european and asian dishes so familiar talaga sakin yung iba sa menu nila. 📒

🐽super attentive ng staff nila sa needs namin, parang they served us with a smile everytime na lalapit sila sa table namin.

🐖food!!! 😋

🐷little asia's crispy chicken - php. 295
🍴i thought one whole chicken yun 😞 hindi pala, half chicken lang pala. buti na lang medyo nabawi nila sa taste kasi masarap kaya naging happy na rin ako. 👍🏻

🐷crispy pork belly with peanut sauce- php. 295
🍴we asked kung ano best seller nila and they said na this one daw and pork belly in hoisin sauce. hesitant kami to try this kasi baka mamaya di namin magustuhan pero they said na parang kare-kare lang daw minus the veggies.
🍴crispy yung pork nila pero mejo fatty, understandable naman kasi nga pork belly. peanut sauce is sweet pero not overpowering. to be honest this is our least fave among all the
food that we ordered. ☹️

🐷ebi tempura - php. 465
🍴super sulit nito, ang laki at ang haba ng tempura! prawns talaga yung ginamit nila at hindi
yung mejo malalaki lang na shrimp. 🍤
5 pcs ebi tempura for php. 465

🐷yang chow fried rice - php. 275
🍴 ang dami ng serving nila nito. according to
the waiter , good for 3 to 4 persons daw ito. pero parang it could serve more pa e. masarap and it complements yung mga ulam na naorder namin. 👍🏻

🐷chow mein - php. 295
🍴our favorite!!! 👍🏻👍🏻
para syang pancit guisado yung taste niya pero they used a different kind of noodles naman. perfectly seasoned, hindi masayadong salty.

💠 overall maganda service nila dito and masarap yung food. definitely babalikan ko to after ko matry yung iba pang restaurant within the area. 🙂

💠add they gave us a coupon, free chow mein on our next visit. hahaha nakita ata kami nung manager na nagpipicture ng food. 🤣🤣

📌 solenad 3, nuvali sta. rosa laguna

fb page:bistrocharlemagne

remember little asia years ago? it was a hub of asian cuisine familiar and loved by filipinos. their menu then ran more than a hundred choices. and when i used to dine with them, i took a sweet time choosing, trying my best not to order too many. 

today, they are branded asbistrocharlemagne, named after its owner, charlemagne lim. this new spot in solenad still offers asian but made it even better. their now concise list of dishes either combines multiple asian flavors in one dish or recreates it entirely with an upgrade on composition and/or spices. 

i was invited to blog here believe it or not with my whole barkada and their kids in tow. i was the only food blogger and the rest of my friends and their families got a feast as well. we were 22. together we got to indulge in 15 different dishes, not including 7 kinds of desserts and beverage. it was a day i won't forget. 

on a really long table in a packed restaurant, all the dishes were laid out and i got to enjoy all the few ones i got to place on my plate. i guess everyone was too hungry from our beach trip before coming here. 

golden ‘17’ soy chicken (php 295) was run away favorite. this tender and extremely flavor filled chicken has 17 herbs and spices. each bite of this meat was bliss and it paired well with crispy lumpiang hubad (php 255).

this combination was truly satisfying, a nice merger of protein and fiber. their lumpia was presented tower like with each layer of fried lumpia wrapper stocked with fresh and colorful shredded vegetables with garlic sauce and sweet soy dressing. 

for a different take on chicken, a comfort food style, i suggest little asia’s crispy chicken (php 295). it's fried until golden brown to the give you the wonderful crunch matched with delicious gravy. charlemagne takes pride of this dish and narrates that this is a family recipe from the grandfather since the 1950's. 

if you are a pork fan, then you should not worry.bistrocharlemagne served us crispy pork belly with peanut sauce (php 295) and crispy pork belly in hoisin glaze (php 295). each sauce complimented with not so greasy fried pork. i enjoyed the peanut sauce more since it worked so well with spice sweet peppers.  

for some beef goodness, everyone raved (especially the children) about the beef tenderloin rolls with cheese (php 375). it is soft beef strips with the goodness of oozing cheese and drizzled with japanese teriyaki sauce. we also had another eastern flavor with the korean beef stew (php 415). they used braised australian short ribs for this authenticly made korean staple. it was sweet and savory at the same time. a bit of adventurous flare we got to try as well with lengua in mushroom white sauce (php 375). this melted in our mouths instantly! this braised ox tongue with cream sauce and sautéed mushrooms was simply wonderful.  

on seafood, i liked the coconut fish fillet (php 295) the most, thanks to its dynamic coconut presence, basil and other spices. it's easy to like a plate with complex tastes. the fried fish fillet was also prepared just right. we also had salt and pepper squid (php 295), a classic go to squid dish with ample seasoning of salt and pepper. it was simple yet special. 

for a sweet ending to this gastronomic experience, we had a range of their own curated desserts. the one i loved most out of the seven was their mallow series. these were smores done creatively. in a bowl were two kinds of dip with the roasted marshmallows, chocolate ganache, and peanut butter chips. one then dips graham crackers to each sticky and yummy bowls. my palate kept wanting for more! 

we also had amazing pandan crepe (php 235), a classic crepe made green with strong pandan with shredded coconut stewed in coconut cream and coated in palm sugar; blueberry custard napoleones (php 235), puff pastry with vanilla custard, strawberry coulis, and pistachio dust; fried bananas (php 185) transformed to more delectable pieces. it has caramelized banana, macapuno and langka rolled in lumpia wrappers coated with brown sugar and served with vanilla ice cream; crepe samurai (php 175), baked layers of mangoes, crepes and custard sauce and chinese delicacy, mango sago (php 155), which had chilled fresh mangoes, sago pearls and glutinous rice strips with a hint of coconut cream. 

when you can't decide where to go with so many choices around,bistrocharlemagne should stand out with its mirage of flavors in one place. i highly suggest giving them a visit and experience a one of a kind food trip.

had a grand birthday atbistrocharlemagne because the food was sumptuous, great service, elegant place but with affordable prices. the best lengua i've ever tasted. beef tenderloin with cheese was awesome! flavorful fish wrapped with bacon is also a good choice. hongkong noodles was better than other chinese restaurants. the ingredients were all fresh. i requested our jambalaya not to be spicy which they did and it was very delicious.

i have a new dessert fave, charlemagne blueberry napoleons! try it👌

i'm happy to have dined inbistrocharlemagne on my birthday 🎉

at first i wasn't really enticed to try this restaurant but an opportunity came and i was delighted with this establishment treats. initially i thought they only serve chinese dishes but their menu speaks generally asian fusion dishes.

parisian gnocchi mushroom trio is the one that strikes to me the most, this dish has the right balance of flavour and the sauce isn't overpowering. garden salad in raspberry vinaigrette is another one that is really good the acidity of the vinaigrette is on point. personally not a big fan of sisig but thebistrosisig fries is one of a must try, love the texture of this dish and the additional fries makes the "umay" factor go away. their tuna tataki seems to be lacking in something maybe some seasoning.

as for dessert, no one can ever go wrong with their smores either mallow melt or reese's.

this restaurant is definitely a must try in the area.

i found myself in sta rosa laguna which is a miracle unto itself since i rarely leave the safety of the east. it was during an event with other mommy bloggers that we found ourselves in this very high-end rest calledbistrocharlemagne a fusion of european and asian cuisine. the menu is full of traditional recipes along with all time favorites. i heard thatbistrocharlemagne was chosen to cater for the 2015  ariana grande concert for all backstage and ariana grande herself.